In a previous post, I took a look at one of the most interesting cases of a success story in recent years; namely, The Piano Guys. This time I am going to do the same thing, but rather than focusing on someone working in the music industry, I am going to look at perhaps an even rarer case: someone who went from a nobody to a very well-respected director in the video game industry. Now, before I go on, I am not going to get into the "video games are art" or "video games are stupid" or "video games are hurting the youth" arguments. I myself play video games, but I think these arguments tend to turn into ridiculous cat fights, and don't get anywhere, and in my opinion, are not necessary or helpful. My intention is only to show that there are those who don't allow some hardships or personal limitations to deny them to work in their field of choice, and provide something unique to the world.
All right, let's be honest, the above animation and art would look incredible in a video game today. What if I told you it was from a video game from 1995? Well, it is. Michel Ancel wanted to become and animator, and he thought that video games was the way for him to go. However, there was a major drawback to his dream. Michel was not talented enough to animate a full character with arms and legs. However, he decided that this must not hinder him. So, he created one of the most popular and recognized video game characters of all time, Rayman. How did he do it? Well, he cut losses and made Rayman a character with only a head, torso, feet and hands. Nothing else had to be animated, cutting not only costs and manpower required to animate the character, but also giving Rayman a look unlike anyone else in video games. Ancel's first game as director, Rayman, was released in 1995, and was a great success. But, Michel had something even better in store. A game so beautifully animated, I defy anyone who says it doesn't look as good as most, if not all 2D movies.
Now. I think we can all agree that most game trailer look way better than the actual game. But what if I were to tell you that the above pictures were in-game shots. Well, they are. Ancel would go on to make another Rayman game after the first, but would then go on to work on other projects. However, in 2011, he decided to release another Rayman game which he helmed. What makes this game so special to be worth talking about. Well, it is the best-animated game I have ever played, and probably the best I have ever seen. How was this accomplished. Ancel once again wanted to "Wow!" his audience when they saw the game. So, he designed a new graphics engine called Ubiart. This system allows the animator to animate anything the concept artist brings to him, from a 3D rendering to and India ink drawing. This allows the work process to be hassle-free, and also frees up the artists to bring about their vision on the screen. Don't believe me? Look it up. The result is simply stunning, and if you need more proof, I have included the original trailer in which it was tried out. All because a young animator wouldn't allow himself to be limited by the fact that he wasn't able to animate a full character, and instead brought his zany French style to life with a limbless hero.
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